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Pent up frustration from having to sit and watch a first-half performance of such glaring ineptitude undoubtedly contributed to the red mist descending.

Gerrard knows what's needed to succeed when English football's two superpowers go toe to toe and Liverpool displayed none of it during the opening 45 minutes.

This was their opportunity to showcase the progress they have made since that chastening defeat at Old Trafford back in December and climb into the top four.

But instead they froze - serving up an error-strewn display which gifted United the initiative.

No wonder Pele didn't return to the directors box for the second half. Anfield's special guest must have wondered what all the fuss was about after witnessing a mismatch.

United did to Liverpool what Rodgers' side have regularly done to opponents in recent months.

Louis van Gaal's men hustled and harried the hosts into a succession of mistakes.

They denied the Reds both time and space and dominated possession. They nullified the attacking threat of Liverpool's wing-backs and exploited the space in behind them.

The only positive Rodgers could take from the first half was that United only had Juan Mata's tidy finish from Herrera's pass to show for their efforts.

Liverpool were out-fought and out-thought in midfield. The central axis of Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen crumbled as Herrera and Michael Carrick pulled the strings.

Allen, so calm and composed in recent weeks, repeatedly had his pocket picked. Henderson was erratic and wasteful.

Philippe Coutinho showed flashes of his brilliance but received precious little support.

Raheem Sterling's dip in form continues – fuelling fears that all the speculation about his future is affecting him.

His head has been filled with fanciful talk of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich vying for his services after negotiations with Liverpool over a new contract broke down.

It's become an unwelcome side show at a crucial stage of the campaign.

Back in January the prospect of the Reds lining up without Sterling was unthinkable. He was key to the team's revival but his influence has waned considerably.

On a day when United's big money signings delivered, Liverpool's failed to follow suit.

Adam Lallana should have equalised before the break but fired wide after Daniel Sturridge had put it on a plate for him. It was a bad miss.

After an emotive rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone before kick-off, the Kop expected to witness the Reds go for the jugular and tear into United. Baffingly, Rodgers' side stood off and allowed the visitors to play.

Something had to change and at the break the manager called for Gerrard with Lallana making way.

In his final battle with United before heading for LA Galaxy, Gerrard had the look of a man on a mission. He had already made a thunderous tackle on Mata before the stamp on Herrera's shin.

Gerrard will pay a heavy price. Having recently missed seven games due to injury, the long goodbye will be further interrupted by a three-game ban.

He won't play again until April 18 and by then his Liverpool career will only have a maximum of eight games left to run. The Reds will have to try to book their passage to Wembley in the FA Cup without him.

Rodgers will hope there are no further suspensions. Martin Skrtel could face retrospective punishment after he left his studs on David de Gea late on.

When Mata volleyed home his second just before the hour mark, you feared for Liverpool.

But rather than wilt, they rallied. There was a belated show of spirit and character. They were better with 10 men then they were with 11.

Mamadou Sakho could hold his head high after a dominant defensive display.

Sturridge gave the Reds a glimmer of hope when he converted Coutinho's pass but an equaliser rarely looked likely as tempers frayed.

The Kop vented its fury at referee Martin Atkinson, who riled them with his inconsistency.

Phil Jones was certainly lucky to stay on the field. Having somehow avoided a card for clattering Lallana in the first half, the United defender then only got a yellow for cynically hacking down Henderson.

Substitute Mario Balotelli had a fan in the front row of the Centenary Stand to thank for holding him back as he contemplated decking Chris Smalling.

United's celebrations after the final whistle underlined the significance of the victory. Momentum is now on their side.

Liverpool's Champions League dream isn't over but they have a five-point deficit to make up.

With United still to face Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea, there could yet be a twist in the tale.

But if Rodgers' maths are right and Liverpool need a further 20 points from eight games to gatecrash the top four, there is precious little margin for error, with trips to the Emirates and Stamford Bridge on the horizon.

Liverpool must dust themselves off and go again after the international break.

They have a fortnight to dwell on a defeat which cut deep. The wounds were self-inflicted.